An In-Depth Look

by Clayton Peterson

One often forgotten characteristic of great artists is their commitment
to their work and to themselves. They believe in what they do, and they
want others to believe in it also. Myles Pinkney's sincere beliefs
manifest themselves visually. They act as guides for those of us who,
either intentionally or accidentally, enter the worlds that he creates.

Myles
is, first of all, a creator. He is an artist, and he is a complex one.
In examining the artist and his work, I would like to follow an approach
used by R. Politsky, as described in her article entitled, "Toward a
Typology of Research in the Creative Arts Therapies." She uses the four
psychological typologies set forth by Mitroff and Kilmann in
Methodological Approaches to Social Science. Their book presented
differing investigative approaches in the sciences, as a part of the
process to create a holistic scientific methodology. Their typologies
were based upon Jungian inner psychological attitudes.

Out of their four types, the Analytical Scientist, the Conceptional
Theorist, the Conceptual Humanist, and the Particular Humanist, the one
type that seems, at first, dominant is that of the Analytical Scientist,
for Myles is an incredibly rational artist. He has the reasoning of the
Analytical Scientist when he is executing a work of art, for he is very
interested in all technologies that can be applied to his work. He also
blends both art and science in the conceptualizing of his images, as
evidenced by the marriage in many of his paintings of technology and
mythology. As poetic as these images are, one cannot deny that the artist is very
precise and objective, as would be a scientist, in how he constructs his
art. During the construction, as was M.C. Escher, he is the exacting
artisan. Paintings like Merlin's Oak and The Wizard King demonstrate a
technical virtuosity that stands above most of what is available today
in both the contemporary fine art and commercial art markets. He is,
unquestionably, an excellent craftsman, who has mastered his trade on
his own.

He continues to harbor an active interest in everything that applies
to his field. His interest in anything that might help him improve his
art also reveals that he is a Conceptual Theorist. Similar to the
Analytical Scientist, the Conceptual Theorist is unbiased, holistic,
imaginative, speculative, generalist, and impersonal.

Myles is, especially when coming up with ideas, someone who builds links
between different paradigms, and creates completely new ones. It is his
ability to look at his ideas from many different perspectives that
enables him to invent new ones time and time again. Yet as fascinating
as an idea may be to him, it must still be based upon his personal
values, or he will not pursue it. This is not out of stubbornness, but
out of the respect that he holds for the many artists who, by their
works, made it possible for him to become the artist that he is today.
Artists like Bouguereau, Alma-Tadema, William Holman Hunt, and Lord
Leighton are among those for whom he has the greatest respect.

Myles
honors many artists who, until fairly recently, were not even included
in art history textbooks. He has always been an Idealist, in that sense.
As an Idealist he is not concerned with political issues. The world
that he depicts stands apart from our social concerns, but he is not
callous to the needs of the viewer. By using cultural references and
personal symbols, he creates an art that is spiritual and mystical. This
reveals Myles as, most strongly of all, both a Conceptual and
Particular Humanist. Mitroff & Kilmann explained that for the
Humanist, "The best stories are those which stir people's minds, hearts,
and souls and by doing so gives them new insights into themselves,
their problems, and their human condition" (Mitroff 93).

It is clear that Myles' work is about storytelling. Merlin's Oak is the
story of an ancient sage and his future, and it is told by the revealed
details in the painting, as well as by the characters' attitudes. The
world's cultures abound with the stories and the myths that he is
retelling and re-inventing for our time. Dragons and wizards, for
example, are two of our most ancient heritages, but they stand as vital
to us as ever. It is easy to prove by asking any parent if they have
heard of Harry Potter? Why? It is because "Myths serve to inspire,
generate conviction, orient action, and unify a person or group by
creating the 'passionate participation of all functions of the
personality (individual myth), or of all members of a society
(collective myth)' " (Mitroff 4)

Even those symbols in his paintings which are immediately identifiable
do not disclose their meaning either as rapidly or as easily as it might
at first appear. As with all worthwhile art, in these paintings much is
revealed to the viewer only after enough time is taken and enough
conscious attention is paid to the piece. But the audience is enabled in
its discoveries by the artist. It is this heuristic intent that makes
Myles a Particular Humanist. He takes a special pride in the discoveries
that his collectors continue to make from the pieces that they own,
often years after they acquire his work. In an analysis of his work, one
would be tempted to apply formal aesthetics to it, but that would be a
mistake, for his paintings belong, quite intentionally, to
post-modernism, and not modernism.

Myles' art combines past and modern technologies, both in how it is
executed and in its final imagery. That imagery is a melding of meanings
from different cultures and historical eras. It is tolerant of many
interpretations and still supportive of its audiences' needs (for
example, to quickly access the dominant theme, or to take pleasure in
looking at the image's photographic complexity or color harmonies). As
post-modern work, it is also a mix of conscious artistic intentions.
Although the work seems to be immediately readable, and understandable,
it is not. It is infused subtly with additional meanings, and often
built, almost entirely, upon the use of irony and humor, without which,
Myles would refuse to work.

These paintings are not a record of
the serious and humorless world that we think we walk around within,
that we drive our cars across, that we consider when we think of our
jobs, our bank accounts, and television programs. Instead, they are
evidence of a world that is more tangible to us than our worries. His
paintings are of the concerns that we address when we select a religion,
laugh with our children, wonder what we can contribute to the world and
why we are here. We are here to do the things that no one else can do
for us, for our own unique and sometimes, secret purpose. Without it, we
no longer exist. Without that purpose, we would not be able to live in
the face of all the evil and grief that the world can offer. It is the
one thing that each of us needs to believe in and remain committed to.

It is always self-affirming to see another person who is dedicated to
what they do, who understands why they do it, and who is generous with
the things that they have grown to love. This is what Myles Pinkney will
be recognized for. What he has given to the world will be remembered
for a very long time.

Works Cited

Politsky, R. H., "Toward a Typology of Research in the Creative Arts Therapies." The Arts in Psychotherapy. 22 (1995): 307-314.